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comb honey without special frames???

Please forgive me I have seen comb honey but I don't think I have ever tried it except stealing a little taste from my own bees, but certainly never bought a chunck. So here is my question, why the special frames. Could a person just through and empty frame in let the bees draw comb and then cut it once it is capped. I am sure everyone is going to say that the comb will not hold the weight but in nature I have seen huge combs bigger than a super frame full of honey and they had no problems holding the weight. So why doesn't this work? I was looking at ross rounds setup and wow a $100 for one super of frames! I am sure it is probably worth it but that is a chunk of change.

Re: comb honey without special frames???

The benefit to the Ross Rounds system is that once the bees finish their part, you can pop the comb out of the holder, just add the top and bottom caps, and you are ready for market. If you don't use the Ross system, (or a competitor) then there is more work for you to do to prepare cut comb for sale. Of course, you need to weigh time vs cost to decide what is best for you.

If you chose to just use foundationless frames and are concerned about supporting the comb, some users here have recommended wiring the frame using fishing line. You can then easily cut the line when harvesting cut comb and then pull the line out of the comb.

Re: comb honey without special frames???

I do foundationless cut comb all the time. Just have a comb guide (a row of cells from the last comb will do, or a wood strip etc.). I like mediums because I can get more perfect 4" by 4" combs out of it and I can cut the remainder up for free samples (or better $0.25 samples). Or if you really have no use for it, you can use it for crush and strain or throw it in with your cappings...

Re: comb honey without special frames???

I did a bit of cut comb last season. I used medium frames with thin surplus foundation and no wires or fishing line. The soybeans were blooming and the bees were able to draw out and fill the frames quickly. Once the frame had the comb cut away, I added them back to the hives and the bees filled in the cut away sections and recapped the cells.

If the thin surplus is added too soon, the heat will cause it to warp and possibly fall out of the frame. I used kellybees N style frames. The frame has grooves in the thicker end bars that helps support the foundation. There must be a good flow on in order for the unsupported foundation (by wire or fishing line) to be drawn out before it warps. I had one hive that was slow to draw out and the heat caused the foundation to bow to one side. These combs were cut away and crushed and strained.

The frames that have been cut away are then placed between two fully drawn out perfect frames of honey. This will give the bees a good guide to rebuild the missing portions of comb straight.

Re: comb honey without special frames???

>now do you have a good source for popsicle sticks

Any craft store or craft section has what they usually call "jumbo craft sticks" which are the thicker Popsicle sticks like the Dilly Bars come on at Dairy Queen. Or as beyondthesidewalks says, paint stir sticks work fine as well and you can even split them into two guides.

Re: comb honey without special frames???

I make and sell quite a bit of comb honey, but 99% of what sells in my area is cut comb in a jar with honey poured around it. I"ve tried all the expensive kits, and while I like them, my customers balk and ask, "What's this?"

I cut some comb out and put it in a clear, plastic clam shell. This also sells well. But any of the kits don't seem to work for my customers despite the convenience. Plain comb, either thin surplus or foundationless frames, seems to be more welcome than the kits by my bees.